The present invention relates to holiday decorations, such as used at Christmas or during other holidays, and also to a decorative covered light string for use in such decorations and otherwise in decorating.
Strings of electrical conductors or wires with spaced apart sockets and incandescent lights, including miniature lights, have been available for many years for use in both interior and exterior decorations, such as Christmas decorations. It is common practice for the wires to be electrically insulated with the insulation being green, to blend in with a Christmas tree, or white, to blend in with other backgrounds. However, the insulated electrical wires are visible and may detract from the decorative effect of the light string.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,437 to Lach discloses an illuminated flag having a string of lights sandwiched between sheets of fabric material. Light bulbs of the string project outwardly beyond the exterior surface of the sheet material. In one embodiment, one sheet of material is a flap in the shape of an evergreen Christmas tree, which is sewn to the flag. In another embodiment, the sheet is in the form of a pumpkin. In Lach, the electrical wires are hidden between sheets of material, but the lights are held in a fixed position on the flag so that one must accept the design that comes with the flag when it is purchased.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,521 to Fraus et al. shows an ornamental Christmas display for mounting to a wall surface. This display has a background in the shape of a tree to which a string of Christmas tree lights is mounted, the light string having exposed insulated wires.
Suction cups have also been used for a number of years to mount light strings to window panes for decoration purposes.
Although holiday decorations with light strings exemplified by this prior art are known, a need exists for a holiday decoration and a decorative light string which is easy to store, provides great flexibility to the user in customizing the decoration, and which is extremely attractive.